Miami Vampires
by 3of4
Summary: A spinoff from TvTropes "Edge Town" Dresden Files RP: Killings are afoot in Miami, Florida. Somebody is targeting the Operations of the Red Court with extreme prejudice. Worried by this, the local Paranet bring in a specialist: Katsumo Kato, Hanyou Demon Hunter.
1. Foreword

Disclaimer: I do not own The Dresden Files in any Form.

Please note: This Story is a spinoff from a freeform play-by-post RP on the forums named "Edge Town". The Protagonist is one of my chars, and this is (one of several, just the first one here) story's I wrote and write when I'm bored.

Who is so inclined can visit the forums of TvTropes and read up on the RP, which is at the moment of this writing nearing its 6000th post.

For those who do not want this, here a quick summary of the Char:

Katelyn Katsumi "Kat" Kato is a Scion, meaning half human and half a supernatural being. She hails from a whole clan of these scions in Japan, who use their supernatural gifts in order to hunt down evil demons and protect the normal humans from supernatural predators. Think Kincaid with a Katana and female sexual characteristics. As a Samurai. In a totally basic and minimalistic descriptive way.

Kat, who had a rather more interesting background than the average clan members (which is however not needed for this story...), usually hangs around in Boston and keeps out an eye for demons there.  
Sometimes she however gets roped into doing some work for "a friend of a friend." or over the Paranet. While in this story she is alone, she is sometimes accompanied by Wizard Timotheus von Hochberg of the White Council, her quasi-its-complicated-boyfriend (as of the time of the story)

As for the story itself...it kinda started out of boredom and with the question if somebody injected a bit of Kill Bill into the Dresden Verse.

No, I will not tell you when this story happens in relation to the books. Spoilers!


	2. Prologue

The blood splatter was almost artistic, Kat thought. If one liked carnage and murder, that is. She bowed down and looked at one of the dead cartel soldiers. Whoever had done this had used a sword, from the splatter a katana like her own. She had made similar splatter quite often, but not in the same quantity. Within the old factory hall were at least thirty dead, most of them chemists, some cartel soldiers. And one vampire of the Red Court.

The vampire had been beheaded and then stabbed. Someone had been really pissed. From the looks of it the Soldiers had been the first to die, then the Vampire. The workers had gone last and apparently by hand. Some by a strike, some had their throats cut in a way which just screamed claw instead of knife. They had tried to flee but someone had made sure all of them died.

"A message." she said towards the young Detective who waited at the door. Detective Lloyd McKenzie was a weak ectomancer. An ability he used to bring the murderers of the ghosts he saw to justice. He also organized the Paranet in Miami and had sent a message for help up the pipeline. Over the 'net it had reached the Boston chapter which had asked her to go all the way down to Florida to take a look. Now he shrugged.

"Yeah, and the third at that. All scenes are like that. Someone has it out for the Cartels." he said, but Kat shook her head.

"Not the Cartels. The Reds. That stabbing after the beheading? Like a ...reverse seppuku. Emphasising that he died without honor. And the blade was left in while the workers were killed." She stood up and took another look around before getting the sunglasses her BPD friend had given her when she told him where she was headed out of her jacket pocket. Stepping outside, she continued.

"And there is more. The distribution of the splatter? That was very quick bladework. Too fast for a normal human. The same with the hand killings. To catch all the fleeing workers, one had to be very fast." she explained as the cop walked her through the barrier of cops to her Motorcycle. Officially she was a 'Consultant from the Japanese Imperial Guard' regarding the use of a Katana in the murders, which was helped by the fact that on paper she actually was a member of it. McKenzie listened attentively and then asked the obvious question.

"Do you know what kind of being did this?" He said, obviously hoping for a decisive answer. Kat only looked at him and smiled weakly.

"Well, with the high speed, the strength and skill and not to mention the katana.." she put on the sunglasses over her half-demonic golden eyes. "You're speaking to the only one I can think of."

**YYEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!**


	3. Chapter 1

Kat stopped her motorcycle at the shore as the sun started to set. A long talk over the phone with home had confirmed that she was the only member of the clan currently in the US. Sazae, the current Sword Master of the Clan, had said so in her usual blunt and studied 'I am old, I can be impolite!' way. And no one was missing or otherwise as far as she knew. That meant a good and a bad message. The good was that this was not the remote possibility of a rogue member of her clan. The bad news was that she had no Idea who this actually was.

For a moment she wished Tim von Hochberg was here, mainly as a sounding board. The tall Wizard with his scholary mind was excellent for this, among other things. But he was in Edinburgh, called in for a 'Diplomatic Event' requiring the presence of most of the White Council. Which was a shame, because...

"Aw, quit complaining, Kato. Live's though, so stop complaining that you won't getting any tonight." She told herself. A beat cop walked along her and eyed her Katana and guns suspiciously. Smiling without showing her small fangs, Kat showed him the Consultant ID she had gotten, and earned look that said 'Detectives are all crazy' as he walked further. Just as he was a couple hundred meter away and the sun gone, she noticed the half dozen men and women behind her.

"Can I help you?" Kat asked, turning around. Looking at the almost obvious machine guns and other weaponry they carried, and the dozen quite obvious mooks waiting a bit back, she suspected who was visiting her. Just as she finished the thought, the woman in the middle walked forward. Tanned skin, black hair, and a figure one usually only found in catalogues for plastic surgery, she looked like any young latino man's dream come through.

"I hope so, Miss. My name is Fernanda Herrera. I am speaking for the Interests of a group of pan-american entrepreneurs." She said, smiling, as Kat stepped off her bike and walked up to her.

"Sorry, my hearing is a bit bad, I only understood 'I am speaking for a bunch of blood sucking Red Court drug dealers.'" Kat answered and watched Herrera. Her face never really reacted and something about it told Kat's instincts 'Flesh Mask'. "So. Ask away?"

Herrera smiled in the way a hunter smiles at prey. "Okay. Lets be direct. Why do you kill our people?"

_Well. Shit._Kat thought as her hand moved toward her sword hilt. She could probably cut down the six in front of her before they realized just how fast she was, but the mooks would then start to open fire and things would get...ugly.

"I only arrived this morning. I'm actually here to figure out who is responsible."

Herrera just laughed, clearly revelling in her perception of power. The other Reds beside her joined her, like good underlings should do. _Stereotype much?_Kat thought and suppressed the urge to roll her eyes.

"And you actually think I'm going to believe this? Dozens of our men and our cattle slaughtered by a sword and you, a "Demon Hunter", just happens to be in the city? I don't think so. When the Count returns from the south, your head and sword will greet him." She gloated and was about to start the mutual bloodbath when a slow clapping was heard.

"Now, now, 'Nanda. I know the Count is away, but you really should not start another war just to impress him."

A man walked up to the group, dressed like he came straight out of a Miami Vice DVD. White Suit, colorful shirt and all. He had long and curly black hair and incredibly bright skin. Just to confirm Kat's suspicions he made a deep, sweeping bow toward her.

"Anston Raith, at your services." he said and threw her a smile which required sunglasses. "I own some of the clubs whose fronts you are about to turn into downtown Fallujah, so I decided to intervene as a voice of reason. And 'Nanda, allow me to tell you how lovely you look tonight."

Herrera looked at the White like she would like to rip out his throat and give his corpse to a ghoul in heat.

"Stay out of this Raith!" she snapped, but he only wagged his finger. "Now, now. Just think for a moment. If it were truly she behind it, would she be along? Or would a whole hunt of her fellow hunters be with her? As an upstanding member of the Miami community, I consider it my duty to prevent an unnecessary battle."

And with a snap of his fingers, the Red Court's Mook suddenly found themselves surrounded by double their number of White Court Mooks in sharp white suits. Herrera's glare intensified even more and from what it appeared, her Flesh Mask would only hold for so long.

"You dare? The count will have your head for this!" she snapped and Kat made a slow step back, hoping the Vampires would simply kill each other and leave her be.

"Maybe, but right now good Esteban Martinez is south, visiting and courting the Red King. And he took a good chunk of his forces with him, for whatever reason. So. Please. If the Lady would give us her word of honor that she is not the one perpetrating the killings..." he trailed off and looked at Kat, who rolled her eyes.

"Sure. I didn't do it." she answered and Raith smiled beatifically at Herrera.

"See? Easy solution." he told her, but she only let out an almost feral growl, whirled around and stomped away, while Raith her her a kiss. Then he turned back to Kat and attempted to give her a kiss on the Hand, but stopped as the Hand in question tightened upon her sword hilt.

"Excuse this scene, Dame. I fear our cousin's from the Red Court are a bit restless this week. Maybe they drank O-Negative again. Its like Fast Food for them." he explained and threw what had to be an oil tanker worth of charme at her, before offering her a card.

"Please. Take this. Miami lacks an Accorded Neutral Territory at the moment, so my Club, the 'Pecado Blanco', is the closest thing we've got. If you would care to make an appearance later, I would just love to give my undivided attention into sharing my information regarding the killings with you." He finished, bowed again and walked back to the front of clubs, followed in a almost choreographed way by his men.

Silently, Kat stared at the card. It wasn't just simply a business card, but a magnet striped VIP All Access All Inclusive card. Sighing, the pocketed it. _Not like I have a better lead._


	4. Chapter 2

The club was loud, full and it stank. Probably not for the normal humans, but Kat's senses were assaulted by the smell of sweat, arousal and sex. As she made her way over the dance floor, she was groped four times and the sexual tension in the room was thick enough that she would have been able to cut it with her sword!

All in all a normal White Court club then.

The only thing out of the ordinary was that some separee's were obviously exempt from the revelling and seemed to house all kinds of meetings. Paranetters having a discussion, cops having a good time off duty and an older man with an impressive chin saluted her with his Mojito before turning back to his friends, as she went by. She also saw a number of the Red Court Vampires from earlier, throwing her dirty looks. Finally, she reached the gallery to which she had been directed by the Doorman. Anston laid on a roman style couch and a scantily clad girl with green dyed hair laid on top of him, more of a fashion statement than anything else. Occasionally she would kiss the White Court Vampire and shivers would go through her body, while Anston kept on conversations. As she walked up the stairs he waved slowly.

"Ah, good Dame. Welcome. Welcome. Do you want something to drink? A man to hold it for you? Or a woman? Each of our VIP's gets his personal attending, who will take care of...everything." he said and to demonstrate, the green haired girl took his drink from a table and reached it to his lips. After he had sipped she licked a remaining drop of his lips. Kat only looked at them and put her sword hand on her hip.

"Not. Interested." She simply said and stared away a very well built man who had already advanced toward her. Anston sighed theatrically and stood up. The girl snarled playfully and nuzzles herself against him as he walked towards a business desk in the center of the gallery. A tall woman in a white business suit was waiting there already. Showing of the same white skin as Anston but instead of his midnight black hair, hers was a tantalizing chestnut brown bob. A pair of, probably just aesthetic, glasses just added to her appeal as she handed Anston a file.

"Please. Meet Felicitas. She is my right hand, my better memory and my sadly not-inbuilt sexual interest in men." Anston introduced. She woman smiled at Kat and offered a velvet gloved hand.

"Felicitas Skavis, pleased to meet you." She said as Kat shook the hand, a bit surprised. "Skavis?"

"I'm not on speaking terms with my family, so Mr Raith has taken to employ me." She said amiable. Anston sat in his chair and the girl immediately seated himself on his lap.

"She got kicked out because she prefers our way of feeding to her family's. Or combining the two. Sadly, most Skavis are purists. Well, it's my win and their loss. Felicitas, dear, give her the file please." Anston told her and she handed the second folder to Kat, who opened it and found a full copy of the police file inside. Anston simply smiled.

"One of the filing clerks in Miami-Dade is one of Felicitas boyfriends." he explained. "Our own informant's report's are in the appendix. Whoever is responsible is quick and silent. One can almost forgive 'Nanda for suspecting you, given that it basically reads like an appreciating of your abilities. Though the good Detective McKenzie only called you after the second attack..."

"By the way, Mr Raith. Ms Herrera has left the separee reserved for the Count's men." Felicitas supplied. "Quite gutsy of her to use it in the first place. Its is supposed to be for him, not her."

"Now, now, dear. 'Nanda was turned by his Son, so she considers herself his granddaughter, even if he denies her recognition." Anston answered and looked at Kat. "You have stumbled into a bit of a family dispute here, I'm afraid. 'Nanda was the daughter of one of my most beautiful dancers. Sadly, she didn't follow company policy regarding contraceptive measures quite as thoroughly as she should and 'Nanda was the result. I tried to be as accommodating as possible, but I could hardly introduce her to my Uncle. King Raith's patience with male members of the family is notoriously short. And before she developed into a more...suitable child for the family, she ran away and let herself get turned by the Count's son. Teenage rebellion." He made a throwaway gesture. "I try to keep it cordial but our cousins are hardly the most reasonable people in the world. All that spanish blood, I suppose."

Kat only raised an eyebrow and continued to read the appendix in the file. Apparently the three mass murders had not been the only ones. Single Red Courts and their servants had been ambushed all over Miami for months, only to be covered up by the Count. Trying not to show weakness. But now it escalated.

"Someone has a real hate of the Red Court it seems." Kat commented.

"Indeed. I'd suspect a Wizard, but they usually burn down more buildings in combat. At least that is what dear cousin Lara is telling me. And there are rumors of peace talks between the Courts and the Council, so..." He shrugged again, as a scream came up from the floor. "Felicitas, please tell our cousins that the blood of the animator's is not on the menu. Again."

But just as Felicitas turned to go, another scream started, this one the death scream of a Red Court Vampire. Anstons eyes narrowed. "They wouldn't..." he growled, and his skin started to get a silver shine. Kat, however, was already on the move, jumping over the rail of the gallery and landing in the middle of the dancing floor.

Already deserted by the panicked dancers, she saw a messily dying Red Court vampire in his natural form, impaled upon the remains of a metal chair. Beside him, holding a red-hilted Katana stood his killer and Kat's mouth fell open.

Kat couldn't help but stare, as the Killer turned around. She was a caucasian woman, tall and slender. Strawberry blond hair fell down her back and she was quite lovely in figure and face. She was also wearing a yellow motorcycle jumpsuit with a black stripe. As she saw Kat, with her own Katana still sheated she raised her own and started to charge her.

"You have _got _to be shitting me..." Kat said and then the fight started.


	5. Chapter 3

The other woman - Kat refused to mentally label her 'The Bride' - was superhumanly quick and Kat barely managed to draw her own blade to parry. Making a leap back she answered the attack with a quick slashing combo which the other women dodged barely and counterattacked with a stabbing move, which Kat sidestepped and attempted to cut at her side. With flashing speed the other woman retreated again and both began to circle each other over the dance floor. Looking at the surroundings, Kat saw a number of the Club's security lying at the entrance, either dead or maimed.

"Katsumi Kato." Kat introduced herself over the blade of her katana to the other. After a moment of hesitation, she answered.

"Keera. Keera Burke." she answered with a faint british accent. After another heartbeat both closed for another exchange of sword strikes. Keera jumped forward and brought her katana in for a wide slash and Kat ducked under and made a upward chop with hers. Keera pivoted out of the way at the last moment, losing only a few of her hairs, but brought her knee into Kat's chest in turn. Bringing both her elbows down from the chop, Kat scored a return hit on Keera's chest, after which both retreated again.

"Why are you here?" asked Kat, looking for and sign of an opening to exploit, waiting for the moment her instinct revealed it. From the way Keera was looking, she seemed to be less experienced in battle against another swordwoman, but made up for it with speed and good reflexes. She was definitively not a human. And from the way she moved with the blade, she seemed to have a lot of natural talent for it. _Just great, _Kat thought and remembered the old line about not fearing the second best but the newest swordfighter.

"I could ask you the same? You are standing here, defending vampires." Keera shot back. Kat nodded toward the dead and dying security guards. "They are not vampires."

"They work for them."

"White Court, though."

"White Court, Black Court, Red Court, all the same."

Again, the talk was broken with swordplay, as Keera jumped forward, pirouetting to slash at Kat's legs, who jumped and aimed a slash over her opponent's torso. But Keera just went with her momentum and tried to stab the landing Kat into the back, which was parried by her katana.

"Well, I get that you don't like them. But you are killing not just them but everyone who works for them. Even those who don't know it." Kat said as both women retreated yet again.

"They are helping them. That makes them guilty by association." Keera answered. Kat paused and couldn't hold it any longer.

"I have to ask. What's with the _ridiculous_getup?" Kat asked, failing to keep her voice calm. Keera actually smiled at that.

"You try to get armored sword fighting gear off the Internet. The only way to get some was over a strange costume shop doing 'Tarantino LARP's'." she answered and Kat heroically resisted the urge to facepalm.

"And what is your getup supposed to be? Biker Samurai?" Keera now asked, eyeing the black kevlar biker jacket and pants and the bright red sarashi peeking through the open jacket.

"You know, that is actually closer to the truth than you might think." Kat quipped.

And again, the two women moved in to attack. This time, Kat initiated the exchange, sheathing her blade as she moved forward and drawing it again for a battojutsu combination, drawing her blade and cutting at Keera's center of mass, which drove the other woman back a few feet, before she returned the slashes with a undisciplined and furious series of sword strikes. Kat, unbalanced by the sudden fury, parried and retreated back.

"Where did you get that sword? Given all the cutting and blood, it probably would have dulled already if you got it off the internet, too." Kat asked, looking at her opponents blade. It's hilt and guard were blood red, as was the scabbard at Keera's hip.

The other woman seemed to do the same to Kat's black hilted blade. After a moment, she answered.

"Managed to track this and bought it from an old lady. She told me it belonged to some kind of...Watcher?...who apparently died during the second world war. Her father brought it with him when he returned home from it."

_Oh, crap. A _Warden _blade? Well, at least the whole spell-cutting tricks Tim told me about won't work for her. I hope. _Kat thought. _Well, could be worse. At least she hasn't stolen the Kusanagi from Chicago or something like that._Kat grinned at the forced silver lining.

"Mind if I ask what's your beef with the Red Court is?" she asked. _And what exactly you are?_

Keera's eyes narrowed and she nodded down.

"This. They made me this. And they will pay for it. All of them. And everyone who stands in my way!"

And with a roar, she went in, no more probing attack but a berserker death or glory attack. Kat was about to react as explosions rocked the building. The parts of the ceiling came down and smoke filled the dance floor. As Kat cleared it toward the entrance she saw a phalanx of combat geared soldier's with a _strange _look upon them row the place where the front fall used to be. Keera was nowhere to see. The soldiers packed heavy ordnance and Kat smelled the distinct traces of exploded C4 in the air.

Just as she was about to tell them to hold their fire another figure stepped forward. Fernanda Herrera, wearing a ridiculously customized version of the combat gear glared at Kat and the impaled Vampire and raised a - _Oh for the Ancestress' sake_- gold plated Desert Eagle at the warrioress.

"I knew it. _Kill her."_

_Aw shit._


	6. Chapter 4

The soldiers, probably mercenaries, immediately opened fire. Kat however was already on the move, using the smoke and wreckage for cover and concealment. She considered trying to talk her way out, but over the sound of weapons fire any kind of shouting would be useless. She did not want to simply go and kill people who only were doing their job, granted it was a highly illegal job and all that, especially after she had seen Keera cut a swath of death through normal humans.

But it was not really a choice. The club was designed like a lot of White Court clubs, with only one major exit, like a cow pen toward a slaughterhouse. That really left only one option.

Taking a superhumanly fast and wide jump, she flew out of the smoke and landed before the first merc. A shallow slash over his torso would incapacitate him without killing him. Or that was the plan, because he simply stepped forward and swept the butt of his rifle against her. Dodging and slashing at the next merc, he also ignored the non-lethal cut and tried to grab her.

_Oh no. She did not..._Kat thought as she recognized the hunger in their eyes. The merc's had been vamped. And from the way they fought, like doped up humans instead of using their new strengths to the most, it was recent. Voluntary, if their level of organization was an indicator, too. Normally only the nobles of the Court were allowed to create new Vampires, to prevent overcrowding and too much competition for prey. This..this was _crazy?_Even with the war going on, mass vampings had only been done by the Duke's and above, for major offensives.

Herrera had retreated behind their lines, the moment Kat had closed for combat, gloating. And as Kat moved through the merc's she was pretty clear what would happen to her if they grabbed her. Freshly infected thirsted for blood. And she was the prime source of it. If they got the chance, Kat would end up getting gangsucked to death.

Well. Not if Kat had something to say about it, though. First she scratched over her belly, drawing shallow wounds and sputtering the blood over her opponents. Then, half closing her eyes, she focused her thought, centered her mind. She was of the Clan. Her mission, her _live_was to be the sword against the claw, the blade against the fangs, the warrior against the darkness which preyed upon the weak. And her katana was an extension of it. It was her will, her conviction, her faith given form. Opening her eyes fully, she brought her blade into a ready position as she faced the mercenary's a few feet in front of her. The blood with she had splattered over them had enhanced the bloodthirst they already felt, chipping at their discipline. Slowly she raised her blade an inch, as it began to emanate a faint silver glow. Behind them, she could hear Herrera hiss, as she recognized the feeling which came from it. Her sword was a symbol of her mission, her destiny and her legacy and her belief in it.

It was an object of _faith._

A hunter's smile appeared on Kat's lips. "Hunter. Becomes. Hunted." she softly said toward the Vampiress and then sprang into action. The first merc who jumped her screamed as the shining blade cut him open to the spine. No longer holding back, Kat used her full strength and speed, cutting through their body armor and flesh with ease. She knew that she had to quickly break through, or they could still swarm her. But Herrera screamed at them, and another squad came running forward, poured into the battle.

The world around Kat had turned into carnage, a circle as big as the reach of her sword filled with the corpses of the half-vampires who got too close to her. The blood running over the floor drove the surviving ones even more into a frenzy, creating a bloody cycle. Feeling her own blood sing with thrill of the battle, Kat thought furiously how to create an opening. But then _something_changed. The next wave of half-vamps hesitated, slowed. The blood lust clearly in conflict with their survival instinct, they looked at their fallen comrades, the splatters of blood on the ground and walls, and the young woman with the sword within the scene. An eerie silence descended on the battlefield.

Kat stared at them, baring her own - though smaller than a vampires - fangs at them. And then it happened. They broke. Their cohesion simply vanished. Some went to their knees, others fled, others actually took their guns and shot themselves as Kat stepped toward them, her shining blade almost casually beheading their kneeling comrades, walking between them like an angel of death. As the last vampire-merc lost his head to her blade, she turned and saw that Herrera had already vanished.

"Well. That was impressive." Kat heard and whirled around, katana ready. Anston raised his hands.

"Easy, Dame." He said and Kat looked beside him. Felicitas stood there, skin shining pearly and eyes wide and white. Her breath was quick, her spine taut and the question if she was wearing a bra was clearly answered as no. Slowly she came back and seemed to deflate a bit, her smile satisfied as she licked her lips. Anston was clearly appreciating the display, and Kat was honest enough with herself that he wasn't alone in that. Though, now it was clear why her attackers had broken down, killed themselves or simply given up. They had despaired. And Felicitas had fed.

"I knew there I was keeping you around for more than your bosom, dear." Anston said as he caressed her butt. Felicitas took a deep breath, slapped his hand and regained her usual business attitude.

"We shall send the bill for the repairs to the Count, Mr Raith?" she said, as if nothing had happened, before looking at Kat. "You had already shaken them badly, Ms Kato. If not that would not have worked."

Kat nodded and wiped her blade at the shirt of a dead mercenary before sheathing it. Anston took another look around and sighed.

"I just had the place renovated, you know?"


	7. Chapter 5

Anston had convinced Kat that he had further information to share, so she had reluctantly agreed to accompany him to his penthouse. In fact, as the nude and oiled women greeted them at the door, she had almost left immediately again. But Anston had told them to wait in the pool and then led her to his study.

"So, while you kept our little problem occupied, I had her face scanned and and shoved through facial recognition." Anston said and showed Kat another file. It began with picture of Keera and a number of forms. Felicitas opened her copy and started to read out loud.

"Keera Burke, student of japanese history at Princeton University. Current age 25. Was reported missing after a mass murder attack on a hotel. Almost all of her family and most of her friends were identified as victims. As far as records show it actually happened the day she got married." Felicitas paused. "The name of the groom was Miguel Martinez."

Anston swore and put the palm of his hand on his face. "Miguel Martinez. As in Esteban Martinez, Count Martinez of the Red Court? Never liked the little bastard. Even before he made 'Nanda his bitch." Kat raised her eyebrow and blew out air.

"No wonder she hates the Reds. Enough to make a deal with a Faerie or some other creature from the Nevernever to power her up?" she asked more rethorically, before looking at Anston. "So, this Miguel? He's with his father down south?"

"No, he's at his father's mansion, playing with his saliva addicts, using 'Nanda as his errant girl and sniffing dried blood for all I know." The vampire said with clear disgust in his voice. "The boy is a damn stereotype. By now he has probably fortified himself in there, awaiting...well..you."

"And let me guess, there is a reason simply waiting until Keera attacks them won't be palpable?" Kat asked. _Because that would be too easy._Felicitas smiled whimsically and answered her.

"Those saliva addicts Mr Raith mentioned? Collateral for important workers in his more...illegal facilities. Their children, their marital partners, their parents. Made addicted and kept docile. Given Mrs Burke's tendency to leave no survivors, we must assume she would kill them all."

Somber silence followed.

* * *

Kat let herself fall down the wall guarding the mansion. Coming onto the grass slowly, she looked out for guards, her half-demonic heritage granting her perfect night sight. Dodging between cover towards the house, she smelled red vampires. If she could smell them from outside...there had to be a lot of them.

_Are they mass producing them? The Red Court is going to go crazy_. _Nothing pisses a predator more off than competition for the food._She thought as she looked around for a way inside. Ideally, she would find the hostages, capture a Red to make him use his saliva to motivate them and get them out of here before the inevitable battle started. At least that was the plan.

Finally, she found an open window and one of the mercs seemingly smoking a silent cigarette. Sneaking up on him, she pressed her fingernails on his jugular and her other hand on his mouth.

"Hear me. If you ever wondered if someone can cut a throat with nothing but fingernails, the answer is yes. So please nod once if you understand and want to play it nice." she whispered and was rewarded with a nod. "Good. Please show me where the hostages are held. And maybe think of something tasty to eat."

* * *

Five minutes later, they had reached an underground room. The merc swore the hostages were in there, so Kat shoved him first through the door, in case anyone was willing to shoot first and ask later.

As nothing happened, she followed, but froze in the door. The soldier stood there and smiled. And he was not alone. Dozens of soldiers stood there. And between them...the hostages. All of them dead. All of them fed upon. _They are not creating an army of Half-Vampires. They are creating an army of fullblood Red Court Vampires._Kat thought and then noticed Keera in the center of the room, her blade raised, some Vampires already dead. Just as Kat thought of her next step, she felt someone behind her.

"Ah. Exactly whom I've been waiting for." Miguel Martinez said.


	8. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"I seem to have a little pest problem. And so far my new employes have nothing but disappointed me." the Count's son continued. "So I have...re-deployed them a bit."

Casually he walked around Kat and to a comfortable armchair, ignoring the seething Keera.

"You see, right now, dozens of my newborn children are at Hospitals. Orphanages. Retirement houses. And the like. Every place without a threshold and lots and lots of weak cattle." Martinez explained, with an air of smug amusement. "And on my command, they will feed. The streets of Miami will run red. Father may be not amused, but its not like its going to matter in the morning anyhow."

"What do you want?" Kat growled.

"Well, the obvious? Please kill my wife. I'm afraid divorce is frowned upon in the homeland." He quipped, obviously pleased with himself. "If it helps, when we brought in the next shift if converts, we found her here...well...look at the corpses."

Kat did as he said and her eyes widened. What he had first thought of as bite wounds were...clear cut. Sword wounds. She looked at Keera.

"Why?" she asked, but the other woman just bristled, obviously seeking a chance to jump Miguel.

"I told you. They helped them. Guilt by association." Keera snapped. Then Kat saw that beside the dead hostages another corpse laid. Red Court and the combat gear around it was...ridiculously customized.

"I'm afraid 'Nanda was so focused on you being the culprit that she didn't consider Keera a problem when she was surprised during her dinner. You kind of upset her, I fear, and she is...was...a worry eater. Well. Dad never liked her." Miguel said, tapping his wristwatch. "Tick tock."

Slowly, Kat stepped forward.

"Keera, haven't enough people died already? If you simply go..."

"Well, If you can convince her, be my guest. But be quick about it. If need be, I can always try to annul for non-consumation anyway." Miguel heckled from the sidelines. But Keera simply raised her blade.

"Do you know what he did to me? He...seduced me...made me fall in love with him. Made me _marry_him. And then, while his friends _killed my family_he made me like himself!" she screamed and Kat finally understood what Keera was. She was a half-vampire. Not yet turned. She had met a few of them who hadn't turned as crazy as most did. But all of them had been members of the Fellowship of St Giles...and Keera was obviously not.

"You know why I did not give in to the urge to simply rip out someones throat and drink his blood? The image of him" she pointed her sword at Miguel "dead before my feet. His family dead before my feet. His whole kind **DEAD BEFORE MY FEET!**" She made a step forward.

"Either step aside, or I will kill you. I will kill anyone in my way. And if the whole world dies at my hand doing this...so be it!"

Kat drew in slow breath and gripped her sword hilt. The other woman was too far gone. Too far caught up in her hate and vengeance. She felt for her. She had been in that situation. But she had moved beyond it. She had found purpose. And Keera...Keera had found hate.

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

Kat drew her blade.


	9. Chapter 7

Keera screamed her rage as she began the fight. The half-vampire was no longer holding back, and neither was Kat. Their swords clashed with speeds beyond any human and with force which would have shattered lesser blades.

Kat slashed at Keera's belly, pirouetted and aimed for her Jugular, while dodging a strike which might have split her from groin to throat.

Keera made a step backwards and brought her sword down in a brutal slash, aiming to cut of the others sword arm, only to be deflected by the metal bracers' on Kat's wrist. Evading the counterstroke against her thigh artery, she tried to behead her opponent.

Kat ducked under the sword slash and drew first blood, opening a cut along Keera's ribcage.

Both women separated and started to circle each other. Miguel chatted with one of his sycophants all the while, but neither paid attention. Every fiber of them was focused into beating, no, killing each other. This was a battle that could only end with one of them dead.

For Kat, this was different than battles against hordes of demons. In those battle's her own demonic part roared and revelled in the adrenaline, the primal success of surviving and the elation of proving one's strength. These were battles of the body. Of muscle and sheer guts.

This was a battle of will, of the mind. And years of discipline, mental and spiritual training asserted control over her wild side as easy as a trained raider harnessed a stallion.

In the center of her mind, in her soul was tranquility. Pure focus. Calm determination. Clear conviction. She was a warrior of the clan. And this was her purpose.

Keera on the other hand ranted and screamed at her. Her self-control frayed and dissolved and her own demon roared at her, to kill her opponent, to break her body and finally drink her blood.

Slowly, Kat sheathed her blade and breathed out. Keera, seeing the chance stormed forward and time seemed to slow down. Keera came forward, her sword ready to tun Kat through.

And then it happened. The Red Court Vampires all started to scream and fall to their knees.

Keera made the last step into range and Kat re-drew her sword.

The chests of the Vampires engorged, their ribcages bending.

Kat sidestepped Keera's attack and the edge of the former Wardens sword only scratched over her belly, drawing blood. At the same time Kat's sword flashed forward and stabbed Keera in return, as Kat started to walk forward.

Exploding out of their chests, the hearts of the Red Court Vampires ripped apart, showering the whole underground hall in a rain of blood.

Calmly walking past Keera, Kat's sword flashed a second time and cleanly severed her head from her body. Momentum carrying it forward, the half-vampire's corpse walked a few more steps before collapsing to the ground.

Regaining her view for the wider world, Kat only then noticed the rain of blood with had covered every surface in the room, the mutilated corpses of all the vampires and her eyes widened in shock.

"What the hell..."


	10. Epilogue

Epilogue

Kat waited for McKenzie at the same spot at the beach she had enjoyed before.

"Well. Most of the Netter's psychics have calmed down." he began and Kat nodded. Apparently whatever had taken out all of the Red Court Vampires in the city had a serious backlash on anyone remotely sensitive, Kat had helped the other Paranetters calming down the owns who had flown into outright panic from it and then stopped the occasional fire from the sudden power vacuum in Miami. Anston Raith would probably be able to become the top dog of crime in the City, but for now that was not her problem.

"There's more." The detective said.

"What more?"

"The Red Court? Gone. All of them. The rest of the Net calls it an Extinction Event. The strongest vampire court on the planet. All dead." He said, weary. "You know. You never expect stuff to happen outside of history books."

"History. Extinction Event. There is a word better suited to it." Kat answered. "Life. Because that's what it is. And it goes on. The Reds are gone? Good riddance. But that doesn't mean life is getting easier."

McKenzie just nodded soberly, and then they said their goodbyes. Kat made sure her own katana and Keera's were properly fastened on her belt and revved up her motorcycle. Whatever this was, it was neither an end nor a beginning. It was just life as it happened. And the only way on it was forward.


End file.
